[WA] Benton County Sheriff's Deputy Abel Campos resigned Friday before he could be fired for allegedly hitting his wife

"It's very difficult for me. Part of me believes when someone does something, they should be fired and not given an opportunity to resign."
~ Benton County Sheriff Steve Keane

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[WA] Benton Co. Sheriff's Deputy Campos walks away from domestic violence charges - Benton County sheriff's Deputy Abel Prieto Campos walks away from domestic violence charge despite hair pulled out of his wife's head and signs of physical assault on the side of her head because she recanted and her mother backed away...

BENTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTY RESIGNS
Tri-City Herald, Bellingham Herald
By Paula Horton
Published: November 3, 2012
[Excerpts] A Benton County sheriff's deputy resigned Friday before he could be fired for allegedly hitting his wife earlier this year... Sheriff Steve Keane waited until after the criminal case was resolved to complete the internal investigation and make a decision on any disciplinary action. Keane said he intended to terminate Campos, but Campos turned in his resignation when he reported to the disciplinary hearing Friday morning. "I believe an assault did occur," Keane told the Herald. "I believe Abel assaulted his wife and I believe I had enough to terminate him"... The sheriff said if he had not let Campos resign, the deputy could have filed a grievance and an arbitrator would have decided if the firing was justified. Arbitration is a "very expensive process," and when a witness changes her story five different times, there's no guarantee sheriff's officials could get an arbitrator to agree with the decision, he said. "It's very difficult for me. Part of me believes when someone does something, they should be fired and not given an opportunity to resign," Keane said... "The biggest thing an officer has is his credibility. People want to know you have honest officers," Keane said. "If he's been arrested for a crime and have victims recanting, I think it leaves doubts in citizen's minds. It left doubt in my mind"... The criminal case was dismissed Oct. 12 just before the trial. Richland's prosecutor said he had to drop the charges because the witnesses backed out of testifying... [Full article here]
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